I've been playing fantasy football for longer than many RedEye readers have been alive, and there's been one constant in all that time: You build a great fantasy team with running backs.

Not anymore. If you want to have a great fantasy team these days, you must have great receivers. The NFL is a passing league and with so many teams using running backs by committee, pass catchers like A.J. Green, Dez Bryant and Brandon Marshall are huge difference makers.

I know Jay Cutler is out for an extended period, so you may think Marshall has no value. Wrong. Marshall should still be a great fantasy option. His stats are similar to last year's star-studded campaign: 46 catches, five scores and 77 receiving yards per game. Marshall is a big receiver who has the ability to make catches that don't seem possible catchable. And like A.J. Green for Cincinnati, Marshall is the Bears primary' target.

Green is the best wide receiver in fantasy football, dethroning Calvin Johnson. Why is Green so good? The simple answer: Green is quarterback Andy Dalton's favorite target and basically the only go-to guy for the Bengals. The stats don't lie: five touchdowns, 88 receiving yards per game, 14 yards per catch, and 43 catches in seven games.

Dez Bryant, Dallas

If you thought Bryant was a one-hit wonder with last year's breakout season, think again. He is doing it again and he may be even better. Tony Romo is a great fantasy quarterback and he loves throwing to Bryant. Bryant's stats are similar to A.J. Green's and Brandon Marshall's: 42 catches, 81 yards per game receiving and six touchdowns in seven games.

RedEye special contributor Dan Richman hosted a fantasy football show on 670-AM for years. @danrichmanffl

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